Design plans for Central Library’s renovations will be unveiled this evening.
They’ll be on display at 6 p.m. tonight at Central.
Work on the site will begin in September, and is expected to last two years.
Tulsa Library CEO Gary Shaffer says in the meantime, Central Library will temporarily relocate.
“We have rented space at 11 and Denver,” he said. “Most people know it as the old Safeway store, or the old Homeland store.”
“We’ll have computers, some limited programming area, and then a small collection,” he said, “but people of course can always request books” through the hold system.
All of Central Library’s resources will be available by request.
Shaffer says that when the building was first built, it was state-of-the-art. The goal is to bring it up to date to again be on the cutting edge.
“The building itself will be getting a complete facelift on the outside, complete renovation on the inside,” he said. “It’ll look like a brand new space.”
He says plans also include adding parking, as well as adding a children’s garden between the parking structure and the library building.
“Also (we’re) looking at an auditorium or other needed public space,” Shaffer said.
Shaffer says funding will come from money the library system has saved, public dollars where available and private donors.